The past week has been super warm in Nashville and everyone was expecting the nice weather to continue. Of course, perfect weather never stays and it became freezing cold overnight. In celebration of the once-again-subzero temperatures, I thought I would share my top 10 items so far this winter: 5 fashion items and 5 beauty products.

1 • BEANPOLE Black Tweed Tailored Coat(available <here> but only in Korea)
The majority of the clothes that my family buys are from Beanpole. It’s a Korean brand and all of their clothes are really well made. They also offer lifetime warranty on all of their items, which is really great for me since I’m always ruining my clothes. When I went back home for the holidays, my mom gifted me this lovely coat that I’ve been wearing daily. It’s a cocoon-style coat that’s fully lined (making it super warm) and hits me right above the knee, helping me look a little bit taller. It’s really easy to match with everything and I love the flash of pastel blue on the inside of the arms, which I like to cuff up on warmer days.

2 • PIXIE MARKET Faux Fur Life Shoulder Bag(available <here>)
This was an impulse buy when I was in New York, but I’m really glad I purchased it. While the structure is very simple, it’s made from a pinkish-tan faux shearling that adds a bit of interest to my otherwise simple outfits. You can use this as a shoulder bag, a cross-body bag, and a clutch (I just tie the chains together on the inside of the bag). I think it’s a cute bag and that’s quite well-made for the price.

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I’ve always been interested in trying out more natural and cruelety-free brands, so when I was contacted by InstaNatural a few weeks back and offered a chance to test out a few of their products, I gratefully accepted. Based in Florida, InstaNatural is an affordable skin care brand that strives to create effective and safe products. All of their products are free of harmful alcohols, sulfates, and parabens, and most of their items (with the exception of their Emu oil) are made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients. I was really excited to be able to receive a few of their products and I’m very happy to share my thoughts with you guys today.Argan Oil Hair Mask ☻☻☻☺☺

The first product I immediately tried out was their Argan Oil Hair Mask. After cutting off a huge chunk of my super-damaged hair this past winter, I started to pay more attention to my hair care than ever before. Naturally, I have very straight, manageable hair, but after consistently dyeing and perming my hair for three years, it has become really unhappy. I use hair masks on a consistent basis, and I was really excited to try out a new one.
Compared to other hair masks that I have used, InstaNatural’s Argain Oil Hair Mask has quite a thick consistency, making it much easier to scoop and apply to my hair (without the product sliding all over the place). I left it on for about ten minutes and washed it off to find smooth hair. While it did leave my hair feeling quite hydrated, I do have to say that it didn’t leave my hair as silky as some of my other treatments. However, considering the price (under $20) as compared to the price of my usual hair mask (almost $40), it does give good results. Also worth mentioning is the scent. The product has quite a distinct, vanilla/cocoa-butter smell that I didn’t like but my roommate loved. I definitely think this is a personal opinion as there are also varying opinions in other reviews that I have read so far.100% Pure & Organic Argan Oil ☻☻☻☻☻

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Over the past winter break, I went back home to Korea to spend time with my family and friends back home. I met my friend Iris several times over break since we live really close to each other and on one of the last days that we met, we went out to grab dinner and go makeup shopping. We both had a few things that we wanted to purchase before we left so we decided to go out together to see what was new. I thought it would be fun to show you guys what someone else uses and give you more information on what type of products are available in Korea.

Sadly, I forgot to bring my camera to Korea and the cafe we sat down in was really dark. These photos aren’t that great, but I hope it’s not too bothersome.

Overgrowth. “A new and ongoing artistic collaboration between Parker Fitzgerald and floral designer Riley Messina. Inspired by a pursuit of beauty, Riley combines classically thoughtful botanical designs with Parker’s carefully considered film images in an expression of the multifaceted relationship between humankind and nature. The two artists contrast anonymous portraiture with sweeping landscapes in an attempt to capture both the malleable and untamed aspects of the natural world” (overgrowth.bigcartel.com)

Only Lovers Left Alive. Jim Jarmusch beautifully captures the life and romance of two vampires. With luminous lighting, sumptuous textiles, and rich interiors, the movie brings viewers into Adam and Eve’s dark yet playful world

Sun. Cat Power’s ninth album embraces a new, electronic sound that had me in love. Cherokee and 3,6,9 have become two of my all-time favorites.

Since I can remember, I’ve always preferred colder weather. Every time fall rolls around, I snuggle in with warm drinks, thick scarves, chunky boots and layers upon layers of clothes. The weather in Nashville has finally started to cool down and I’m already excited about bringing out my coats and black tights. This fall, I’m looking forward to adding a few items to my stash of ‘stuff’ and I thought I would share my lust (emphasis on the ‘unattainable’ aspect) list.

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I’ve always enjoyed using tea tree oil products – tea tree oil shampoo, body wash, facial cleanser, masks. You name it, I’ve tried it. I love the tingly feeling that tea tree oil gives and it always leaves me feeling super refreshed. Although I really enjoy tea tree oil products, I had never tried real tea tree oil until a while ago when Apothecary Extracts sent me a huge bottle of their Pure Tea Tree Oil. Since then, I’ve been playing around with it and slowly integrating it into my skin care routine.

As you can see, the product comes in a really hefty tinted brown bottle that keeps the oil from oxidizing and loosing all of its goodness. It’s a miracle product that works in a multitude of ways, but it’s especially great for your skin since it has natural anti-viral properties that help kill and fight off bacteria.

I used to be absolutely horrified of mascaras. I felt like they would make my lashes stick together, weigh my eyes down, and run in black streaks down my face the moment water hits. I avoided mascaras like the plague and never even attempted to test out free mascara samples.

Enter: Waterproof Mascaras

When I went back to Korea this summer, I laid my eyes on Fairy Drops Platinum Waterproof mascara. In its girly pink packaging, it was begging for me to buy it. Of course, it also happened to be on sale, so I gave in and decided to give this mascara a shot. One application (and a day full of humidity and sweat) later, I was absolutely in love. This mascara not only lengthened and separated my lashes, but it also felt weightless and stayed on without budging a bit.

I was officially over my mascara-phobia and wanted to try out more. I decided to purchase the ever-so-popular Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Waterproof Mascara EX and immediately fell in love with it as well.

I’ve had amazing luck with these mascaras so far and wanted to share more information about them with you guys. As you guys might know, Japanese mascaras are known to be amazing and it can be a bit daunting to choose one out of so many. So, in this post, I wanted to compare my two waterproof mascaras and rate their performance for you guys. I’ll be testing and sharing how well they lengthen/volumize my lashes and stay put in watery-circumstances (through a cry-test).

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Seoul, Korea is an absolutely perfect place for a college student looking for city-fun. Seoul is a super modern, technological city jam-packed with shops, restaurants, bars, and cute cafes. Although I absolutely love Korea and all it has to offer, I hate it’s summer weather. Being that Korea is a peninsula, the summers are hot and humid, perfect for shiny foreheads and melty foundation. Also, once monsoon season is in full swing, I can guarantee you that your mascara will be running down your face.

That being said, over the past few summers, I think I’ve been able to master the art of heat-humidity-and-sweat-proof summer makeup that will last throughout the day with minimal touchup. This summer-proof makeup look is super simple and makes use of long-wearing and waterproof/water-resistant products that are sure to stay put.

For the past year, my favorite primer has been the Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Mineral Primer and I use it on an everyday basis. It leaves a smooth, satin-powder-like finish on my skin that helps control oil and really grip the foundation into place. I find that my foundation goes on so much smoother and lasts a lot longer with this primer.

For my base, instead of an all-over foundation, I’ve been mixing the smallest amount of my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation with a pinhead amount of my Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer to create the perfect shade of super-full-coverage concealer. I use a thin layer of this just in the places where I need it and smooth it on quickly with my fingers. To brighten up under my eyes, I’ve been using the Missha Under Eye Brightener. It’s not the most amazing under eye concealer, but for about three dollars, you can’t get a much better product. Finally, to lock my base in place and keep my face matte, I’ve been using the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder, which is perfect for people with combination-oily skin.

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